Fruit-box.



PATENTED AUG. 4, 1908.

E. B. WESTON. n FRUIT B0X.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1906.

Ira/mene 1" W7( am /ony l i.\... A15... y dan.: yiinl EDWARD iB. WESTON, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

ravir-Box Specification o! Letters Patent.

'Patented Aug.v 4, 1908.

AApplication led February 12, vw06. Beral No. 300,67.'

To ali whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. WEsToN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Deyton, countyof Montgomery, and State of.

Ohio, have invented certsin new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, end exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. i

My invention relates to the construction of boxes out of veneering,such as hsve long been used for the reception end transportstion of berries, fruit, end the like, and it consists of that certain novel construction and arrangement of arts to'be hereinafter perticulerly pointe 4out and claimed.

The customary manner of constructing these berry boxes is to steam the wood, so that when the sheets of veneering are cut therefrom to form the blanks, they will be liable end easily bent into shape. These lsnksl nre cut find scored, so ss to form when bent into s'nspe a bottom, sides and ends with side extensions to be folded up along the ends and secured by a wire staple. After the blsnk's beve been folded, and the box constructed, they nre then dried, and this dr ing contracts the Wood, end the side edges o the box are very apt to split and creckunevenly, so as to be unsightly, and at the seme time the side edges are very apt to crack throughout and become disconnected from the bottom, so that the sides become loose and cannot be heid in proper position by the usual sinvle staple that is used et the ends.

t is the purpose of 1n invention to make use of the contraction o the wood in drying the boxes to form a clean cut severance between the bottom and the sides, and in order that under this condition the'sides may be held in proper position, I mul-:e use of a pair of staples at esch end as will be hcreinefter descri ed. The severance oi the sides from the bottom will also leave a convenient open- 'm along the bottom for ventilation.

n the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the blank, from which the box is constructed. Fig. 2 is a .erspective view of the box before drying.

ig. 3 is a cross sectionof seme, and

Fig. 4 is'e cross section of the box after it is dried and ,ready for use.

A blenk of veneering is cut and scored, as shown in Fig. 1, to form the box, in which 1 is the bottom, 2-2 the sides, 3-3 the ends, 4-4 and 5-5 the side extensions, or end flaps, which are to be folded up outside of the ends on the lines 6, 7, 8 and 9, and also between the sides and the side extensions on the lines 10, 11, 12 and 13. The blank is slso severed between the ends and the side extensions on the lines 14, 15, 16 and 17. Before the veneer is cut, the wood is steamed, and softened, so that the blank is liable like csrd board, and when the blank lies been cut and scored, the sides and ends are folded up, and the side extensions 4--5 p folded across the ends 3, and locked in position the two staples 18-19.

in t e construction of these boxes, it is not usual to forma score line at 7 end 9, and consequently when the box has been folded in the drying, the blank is very apt to split at the corners between the bottom and the sides, and these,cracks are frequently very uneven.

I take advantage of the fact that in tbe dryinff, the veneer will shrink, and forni the score ines 7 snd 9 very ncsrly through the blank, so that the box when folded and s tapled, and placed in the kiln, the shrinking of the wood will sever the bottom from the sides with e clean even cut, and leave an opening 20-20 along each side for proper ventilsition. Under these circumstances the two staples 1S and i9 perform an important service in that they hold the sides securely to the ends. and preserve the rigidity and strength of the box. With n single staple at esch end, and with the sides severed from thev bottom, it will be evident that the sides would only be hung or pivoted on the ends, and the construction would be too loose and unfit for service.

Having thus described my invention, what I cleim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: l

As en improved article of manufacture, a herr] or fruit box, constructed of a. bls'nk of veneer integral in the first instance, and cut and subsequently severed on smooth lines and scored Lo form tius'bottoxzn,` ends sind of severance by the shrinkage of the veneer sides, with side extensions to fold outsid e the in drying, substantially as described. ends', and a lurelity of staples at each end to u, D' secure the siile extensions and ends, the lines ED i Ahn B' WESTON of fold between the sides and the bottom f .Witessesz being primarily cut nearly through the blank EUGENE B. HUFFMAN,

N. A. KEMP. 

